New York Times: "A federal judge has ruled that the government failed to adequately assess the environmental impacts of genetically engineered sugar beets before approving the crop for cultivation in the United States. The decision could lead to a ban on the planting of the beets, which have been widely adopted by farmers." A similar decision two years ago, also by the federal district court in San Francisco, shut down the planting of genetically altered alfalfa, also on the grounds that the USDA had not done an adequate environmental impact statement (EIS) on its approval.